The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 30
LECTURE XXX.
LUKE 7.47.
Wherefore I ſay unto thee, Her ſins which are many are forgiven her, for ſhe loved much.
THis Text is part of a famous hiſtory, which may well be called foreign, becauſe of the three great things obſervable in it; 1. Great ſinnes. 2. Great repentance and humiliation. …. Great love and grace of God through Chriſt in pardoning: And there is this one peculiar thing well obſerved about this woman in the hiſtory, that whereas divers others addreſſed themſelves to Chriſt for corporal mercies, this only cometh for ſpiritual, even for remiſſion of her ſins.
An Entrance into the Text, from the conſideration of the hiſtory.For the better underſtanding of the text, let us briefly conſider the hiſtory; and firſt the woman is deſcribed by her quality inherent, a ſinner, not in a common ſenſe as all are, but in a more notorious manner; and therefore thoſe that mitigate her fault, out of ſome reverence or honour to her, do not ſo much encreaſe her honour (as Maldonat upon the place well obſerveth) as detract from Christs honour: for the Phyſicians skill is moſt commended, where the diſeaſe is more deſperate. That ſhe was a known great ſinner, appeareth, in that the Phariſee wondred at Chriſt, becauſe he would have any commerce with her. Whether this woman was Mary, Lazarus his ſiſter or no, is hotly diſputed by Commentators, but impertinent to my ſcope. In the next place you have her great repentance expreſſed, wherein for the generall you may ſee the Apoſtles duty accompliſhed, as ſhe had given her members to be members of iniquity, ſo now of righteouſneſſe, inſomuch that ſhe is the true looking-glaſſe of an humble convert. Her humiliation is deſcribed: 1. In bringing of a box of oyntment to anoint his feet; not his head (ſay ſome) becauſe ſhe thought her ſelf ſo unworthy, ſhe brought indeed an outward viſible box of ointment, but ſhe had another inviſible and ſpiritual one, even a contrite and broken heart. 2. She ſtands behinde Chriſt (as being loathſom in her own eyes) and waſheth his feet with her tears; which muſt ſuppoſe that to be true in her, which Jeremiah deſireth, viz. Her head to be a fountain of water, but as long as her heart was ſuch a fervent limbeck, it was no wonder to ſee ſuch precious diſtillations: Chryſologus upon this fact of hers, ſaith, The Heavens are wont to water the Earth with rain, but ecce nunc rigat terra Coelum, here the earth watereth Heaven. Laſtly, The debaſement of her ſelf further appeareth, in making her Hair, heretofore the inſtrument of her pride and wantonneſs, now a Towel to wipe his feet. In the third place, Chriſts love towards her is remarkable, and in the general it is ſo great, that the Phariſee puffed up with his own pride, was offended at it, not conſidering, Firſt, That though ſhe had been a ſinner, yet now ſhe manifeſted Repentance. And ſecondly, That every commerce and communion with a ſinner is not forbidden, but that which is of incouragement or conſent unto his ſin: but our Saviours was like the communion of a Phyſician with the Patient to heal and cure: Hence our Saviour touched the leper, whom he healed, yet was not unclean, becauſe he touched him to reſtore him to health: But as the people murmured becauſe Moſes married a Blackmore, ſo the Phariſees grudged, becauſe Chriſt ſhewed mercy to ſinners; but Moſes indeed could not make the Blackmore white, whereas Chriſt doth purifie the defiled ſoul. Now our Saviour doth aggravate his love to her; Firſt, by a diligent enumeration of thoſe ſeveral acts of ſervice, which ſhe had exhibited to him, not mentioning any of her former ſins; and all this he doth with an Antitheſis, or oppoſition to that carriage which the Phariſee had preſented him with. 2. To convince the Phariſee, he declareth a Parable, that ſo from his own mouth the Phariſee may judge her love to Chriſt to be greater then his. In the laſt place his grace to her is further declared, by pardoning her ſins though ſo hainous, which pardon is firſt declared unto the Phariſee in my Text, and afterwards to the woman her ſelf.
In my Text is the firſt promulgation of her pardon; now becauſe the words have ſome difficulty, and the later part is brought to prove love to be a meritorious cauſe of Remiſſion of ſins;Two Queſtions reſolved for cle…ring the Text. Anſw. two Queſtions are briefly to be reſolved: Firſt, When this womans ſins were pardoned? And the Anſwer is, That as ſoon as ever ſhe repented in her heart of her evil wayes, and believed in Chriſt, her ſins were forgiven her; for ſo God doth promiſe; and this was before ſhe came to Chriſt, but ſhe cometh to Chriſt for the more aſſurance of Pardon, and not only ſo, but that he ſhould authoritatively abſolve her from her ſinne; for Chriſt did more then declare her ſins pardoned, as appeareth by the ſtanders by, who with wonder made this queſtion, v. 49. Who is this that forgiveth ſins alſo? Whereas to declare the forgiveneſs of ſin only, any Miniſter may do, as we read of Nathan to David, 2 Sam. 12.13. So that her ſins were pardoned by God before, at the firſt time of her Faith and Repentance, but now Chriſt as the Mediator, doth particularly abſolve her, and that in her own conſcience, therefore he bids her, Go in peace.
1 When this Penitents ſinne was pardone…. 2. Whether the expreſſion in the text favour any cauſality in the Penitents love in reference to h…r pardon.The ſecond Queſtion is, Whether that expreſſion, Much is forgiven her, for ſhe loved much, be cauſal, as if her love were antecedent, and a cauſe of her forgiveneſs; or conſequential only, as an effect, or ſign of her forgiveneſs; in this ſenſe, She loved much, becauſe God did forgive her many ſins, not ſhe loved much, and therefore God forgave her?
Here is a great and vaſt difference between theſe two: many Papiſts are for the later, the Proteſtants generally for the former, and there is this cogent reaſon for it, for that Chriſt doth not ſpeak of Repentance, or Love which ſhould go before, and be the cauſe of the pardon of ſins, is plain by the Parable he brings of a Creditor, who forgave one Debtor more, another Debtor leſs: hereupon our Saviour asked the Phariſee, Which of them will love him moſt? Simon anſwered, I ſuppoſe him to whom most was forgiven: Now of ſuch a love our Saviour ſpeaketh, when he mentioneth the woman, which is clearly a love of Gratitude, Becauſe much was forgiven; not an antecedent love of merit, to procure pardon; ſo that as from her actions of anointing and waſhing his feet, by way of a ſign or effect, we gather her Faith and Love of Chriſt; ſo by her Faith and Love as by a ſign and effect, it may be gathered, that her ſins are forgiven her. But you may ask, How could ſhe come to know her ſins were forgiven, before Chriſt told her? I anſwer, By the promiſe of God made to every true Penitent and Believer: though this aſſurance of hers was imperfect, and therefore admitted of further degrees, whereas then all this Repentance and Humiliation was not that ſinne might be forgiven, but from Faith that they were forgiven: We may obſerve this,
That the ſenſe and apprehenſion of pardon of ſins already obtained, Obſerv. 1.doth not beget carnal ſecurity, but a further mollifying and humbling of the heart in a gracious manner.
This is a practical truth of great concernment. And for the opening of it, take notice of this diſtinction, as a foundation,A two▪fold repe…ta…ce in Script…re. viz. That there is in Scripture a two-fold Repentance or Humiliation of the ſoul for ſin; the one antecedent, and going before pardon, and this the Scripture requireth as a neceſſary condition, without which forgiveneſs of ſin cannot be obtained: of this Repentance the Scripture for the moſt part ſpeaks, Ezek▪ 14.18, 30. Mat. 3.2. Mark 6.12. Luk. 13.3. Act. 3.19. and generally in moſt places of Scripture. In the ſecond place there is an Humiliation of heart, and brokenneſs of ſoul for ſin, ariſing from th… apprehenſion of Gods love in pardoning, whereby we grieve, that we ſhould deal ſo unkindely with ſo good and gracious a God: This, though more rarely, yet is ſometimes ſpoken of in Scripture, as firſt in this woman, who out of the apprehenſion of Gods love in pardoning ſo much to her, did pour out her ſoul in all wayes of thankfulneſs. After this manner alſo was Davids Repentance, Pſal. 51. for he was thus deeply affected after Nathan had told him, His ſin was taken away: Although it doth appear by the Pſalm alſo, that he had not as yet that ſenſe of pardon, which did quiet his conſcience. This kinde of affection was alſo in Paul, 1 Tim. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 1 Cor. 15.8, 9. in which places the Apoſtle remembring his former ſins, confeſſeth them, and acknowledgeth thereby his unworthineſſe of all that grace and favour he had received; ſo that the Apoſtle doth not there humble himſelf that he may obtain mercy, but becauſe he had obtained mercy. The moſt eminent inſtance of this kinde of ſorrow and ſhame, is Ezek. 16.62, 63. where God promiſeth to eſtabliſh his Covenant with them, and then mark the event of this, That thou may…ſt remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth more becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee.
So then both theſe kindes of Humiliations are to be owned and practiſed; and therefore it is a falſe and dangerous error to acknowledge no other kinde of Repentance then the later: The Papiſts will not acknowledge this later Humiliation at all, becauſe they deny all Faith and Aſſurance that a believer may have of his ſins in particular: And others, that there is only this later, and therefore the fore-mentioned Author, in his Treatiſe of Goſpel-repentance, makes this only Goſpel-repentance: but as Goſpel-faith is not that reflect act of the ſoul in a man, whereby it is perſwaded that Chriſt is his, but a direct act of taking and receiving Chriſt to be ours: ſo a Goſpel-repentance is not that mainly whereby we are humbled, becauſe we receive Gods love to us in pardoning, but principally in that loathing of our ſelves to obta…n pardon: It is therefore great ignorance in that Author, in his Treatiſe of Goſpel-repentance, when pag. 58. he cals Repentance that goeth before this Faith, viz. that my ſins are pardoned, a dead work; as if the Faith that juſtifieth, and without which it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, were the believing that my ſins are pardoned; whereas the Scripture makes it to be, the receiving of Chriſt, and laying hold on him: and ſeeing that the object muſt in order of nature be before the act that is imployed about it, it followeth infallibly, that I muſt have Juſtification, before I can believe I have it: Repentance therefore may be thought to go before a two-fold act of Faith; Firſt, That whereby Chriſt is laid hold upon and made ours, and ſo the Repentance that precedeth this, may be called legal and ſlaviſh. Or ſecondly, Before a perſwaſion that my ſins are pardoned, and before this act of Faith, Repentance muſt neceſſarily go, becauſe the Covenant of Grace diſpenſeth pardon only to ſuch.
The Obſervation proved from ScriptureBut becauſe I have already ſpoken enough of the former kinde of Repentance anteceding Remiſſion of ſins, vindicating the neceſſity of it, I ſhall preſs upon this later, as being moſt proper to my Text. And that aſſurance of apprehenſion of pardon, doth not beget ſecurity, but rather increaſe godlineſs, will appear ſeveral wayes.
And firſt thus: Thoſe places which ſpeak of Gods gracious Properties, do repreſent them as grounds of duty, as well as of conſolation, Pſal. 130.4. There is forgiveneſs with thee, that thou mayeſt be feared: Mark that expreſſion [There is forgiveneſs with thee:] which implieth forgiveneſs to be in God as in a fountain, and therefore he doth eaſily, and plentifully forgive; but leſt any Spider ſhould ſuck poiſon out of this ſweet flower, he addeth, That thou mayeſt be feared; here is no incouragement to ſecurity. Thus Hoſ. 3.5. there is a gracious Promiſe of God to his children, that they ſhall fear him and his goodneſs. As it is Gods glorious Property to work good out of evil, ſo it is a moſt deviliſh quality to work evil out of good.
2. The Promiſes of God, they alſo require an holy and humble walking, 2 Cor. 7.1. The Apoſtle having in the Chapter before mentioned thoſe glorious Promiſes in the Covenant of Grace, That he would be our God, and we his ſons and daughters, makes this inference, Having thoſe promiſes, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs, perfecting holineſs in the fear of God: So that here is no danger, as long as we keep cloſe to the genuine uſe of the Scripture. Thus alſo Eph. 4.30. Grieve not the Spirit of God, whereby ye are ſealed, &c. Where Aſſurance is ſo far from incouraging to ſin, that by ſin it is weakned and deſtroyed. The more gracious then we perceive God to us, the more humiliation and debaſement we finde in our ſelves. Thus the Apoſtle Peter, 1 Pet. 1.17. If ye call on the Father, who without reſpect of perſons judgeth all men, paſs the time of your ſojourning here in fear. To make therefore doubting, a duty and meritorious, as ſome Papiſts have done, is to betray great ignorance of Scripture motives.
3. That Aſſurance of pardon is ap… to kindle ſpiritual affections in us, is plain, if you conſider the nature of ſuch Aſſurance.By reaſon,
1. Originally it is wrought by the Spirit of God: as a man by the power of Free-will, is not able to do any ſupernatural good thing, ſo neither by the ſtrength of natural light, can he diſcern the gracious priviledges God beſtoweth upon him, 1 Cor. 2.12. The Spirit whereby we know the things that are freely given us of God, is oppoſed to the ſpirit of the world: If then this perſwaſion be not the fruit of the fleſh, but of the Spirit, is it any wonder▪ that it inclineth us to holy things? Again,
2. This perſwaſion of pardon cometh in the uſe of thoſe means appointed by God. 2 Pet. 1.10. By giving great diligence in the uſe of the means, we only come to Aſſurance. How then can ſuch a perſwaſion of forgiveneſs cauſe a neglect of the means?
Laſtly, That Spirit which doth thus aſſure, doth work alſo at the ſame time, concomitant gracious effects, eſpecially ſervent and effectual prayer, Rom. 8. Gal. 3. Now where conſtant powerful Prayer is, that ſoul is like a tree planted by the waters ſide.
Further evidence from experience.4. That this perſwaſion of pardon doth inflame much to Holineſs, appeareth from the nature and ſtate of thoſe who are in it. They are ſons, Now by experience we ſee, that in an ingenuous ſon, the more apprehenſion there is of his fathers tender love and kindeneſs to him, the more obſequious and ſerviceable he is; Can we think that the fathers great love to his prodigal ſon, was not like coals of fire poured on him to melt and thaw him? We rather ſee jealouſies and ſuſpitions of love to breed hatred at laſt. Hence diffidence worketh deſpair, and deſpair hatred of God: It is therefore a ſpecial duty lying upon the people of God, to entertain good thoughts of God, and to be perſwaded of his loving kindeneſs to them.
5. That the people of God do yet mourn and abhorre themſelves for their ſins, though perſwaded of the pardon of them, ariſeth from the ſincerity and uprightneſs of their heart, whereby they hate ſin as ſin, and grieve for the diſhonour they have put upon God. It is indeed lawful, yea a duty to repent of ſin, that it may be pardoned, becauſe the Scripture propounds this as a motive and incouragement to the duty: And it is a vain thing, to affect more high and ſpiritual ſtrains then the Scripture. But Humiliation of ſin, when pardoned, and after the knowledge of the pardon, doth evidently diſcover an upright heart, that the diſhonour of God is more trouble and grief to him, then his own puniſhment and deſtruction. Whereby it is, that hedoth ſo accuſe and condemn himſelf for dealing ſo wretchedly and frowardly with ſo gracious a God.
6. That ingenious principle of Gratitude and Thankfulneſs which reigneth in the godly, will put them upon all theſe ſervices. Godlineſs in the lives of the godly may be conſidered two wayes: Firſt, as a means wherein they attain to eternal life: Secondly, as an expreſſion of Thankfulneſs unto God. Hence Ʋrſine in his Catechiſm inſcribeth that part of Divinity, which containeth our duty, de gratitudine, of Thankfulneſs. Bern. Ep. 107. Juſtus quis est, niſi qui amanti ſe Deo vicem rependit amoris? quod non fit niſi revelante ſpiritu per fidem aeternum Dei propoſitum de ſua ſalute. Who is a righteous man, but he that returneth love to God, for Gods loving of him? And how can this be, but by Gods Spirit revealing his purpoſe of Election, concerning the juſt mans Salvation?
Uſe of Inſtruction, Doth the apprehenſion of great pardon,Ʋſe 1. breed great Humiliation, then we may ſee the neceſſity of that Miniſtery and preaching, which doth diſcover the depth,To preſs this uſe upon us, two things eſpecially to be inſiſted upon. length and breadth of ſin. They take the beſt way to ſet up grace and magnifie Chriſt, who do amplifie the pollution of ſin in us: Now that we may come to be convinced how much God doth forgive us, two points are much to be inſiſted upon.
1. The Doctrine of original corruption, 1. The doctrine of o…i…inal co…ruption.for thereby we ſhall ſee our ſelves guilty of more ſins then ever we thought of; a man without this Scripture-light, is like one in a dark dungeon, which is full of Serpents, Toads, and all venemous creatures, but is not able to ſee any of them, and ſo thinks himſelf without any danger at all. If therefore thou wouldſt ſee how much is forgiven, reckon up all the debts thou oweſt. The mercy and skill of the Phyſician will then appear, when the worſt of thy diſeaſe is made manifeſt.
A ſecond Point much to be preſſed, is the pure, 2. The ſtrict obligation of the Law.ſtrict and exact obligation of the law, which being ſet as a pure glaſs before thee, all thy deformities will appear. In this ſenſe it is good to be a legal Preacher and a legal Hearer often: that ſo knowing the holineſs of the Law, and our imperfection, we may eſteem the more of Gods Grace in pardoning ſo much; As God in the outward paſſages of his providence doth therefore ſuffer one trouble to follow another, like ſo many waves, that ſo the greater their calamities have been, his wiſdom, power and goodneſs may be the more conſpicuous in delivering of them. Thus it is alſo in his ſpiritual adminiſtrations, he will not reveal the riches of Grace, but to the poor in ſpirit, nor will he give eaſe and refreſhment, but to duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page thoſe that are heavy laden and burdened. And this is the reaſon, why a Phariſee, a formaliſt, a moral man, a ſelf-righteous man, doth not love Chriſt, as converted Publicans and ſinners do.
Ʋſe 2.Uſe ſecond of Admonition, to thoſe who have ſinned much, and ſo have had much forgiven them, let ſuch know their expences of practiſed grace, muſt be according to the receipts of juſtifying Grace. Let ſuch know, the pardon of many ſins is a talent to be greatly improved. As thou haſt abounded in many ſins, and God in many pardons, ſo do thou in much thankfulneſs. How thankful would we be to a man who hath delivered us often from a temporal death! but behold a greater love is manifeſted here. Thou who haſt (it may be) been the chiefeſt ſinner of many thouſands, be now the chiefeſt Believer of many thouſands; If thou haſt been a great ſinner, and art not now a great actour, and ſpiritual merchant negotiating for God, fear the truth of thy grace; much love ſhould be like much fire that conſumes all droſs; quicken up thy ſelf with ſuch thoughts as theſe, Lord, who was more plunged into ſin then I? whoſe diſeaſes were greater then mine? It may be thouſands and thouſands for leſs and fewer ſins then I have committed, are now taking their portion in hell. O Lord, this thy overflowing goodneſs doth overcome me, oh that I had the hearts of all men and Angels to praiſe thee.
FINIS.